Hang With Me
by Jewannaman
Summary: After landing an Internship with the New Yorker, Dan comes back to New York for the summer. Sequel to I Was Made for You.
1. Chapter 1

_This is the sequel to I Was Made for You. Initially, I wanted the sequel set during their senior year, but I realized that it was going to be painful for the readers to get through it, so I thought I might as well mix the final installment of this world with the sequel to I Was Made for You and make it easier on the readers. Basically, each chapter will either be a flashback, or it will be set in present time. For example, this first chapter is set during present time._

* * *

**Present**

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**.**

**.**

A deep breath escaped Dan's throat as he smoothed over his tie and stared at the reflection from the mirror in front of him, feeling anxious. He shut his eyes and went over the list in his head, making sure everything had been checked off.

When Dan was reassured nothing had been forgotten, he let his eyes open and stepped out of the bathroom to pick up his messenger bag.

He left his apartment and ascended down the old wooden staircase to catch the bus with a nutrition bar in his mouth. Dan didn't have much time these days and was getting tired of the whole nine to five routine.

As usual, the bus was packed in the early morning and he was now considering changing his transportation route to the subway, which was also filled in capacity, but much faster.

He arrived precisely fifteen minutes early and made his way over to his small cubicle where notes from the previous day were still scattered everywhere on his desk.

"Humphrey"

Dan looked over his shoulder and saw his boss, Josh wearing suspenders and a horribly mismatched tie.

"In my office" Josh ordered.

* * *

"This piece is complete shit" Josh said, tossing Dan's stapled article on the desk as he could hear it smack against the pinewood. There were red marks all over it, which made it even more clear of how much it sucked.

"Do you think you can be more specific?" Dan asked, rubbing the back of his head and looking worried to Josh's reaction.

The slicked back dark haired Josh, angled himself down on his desk to sit in front of Dan. "You're too worried on how the readers perceive you" Josh scratched his thick goatee with his fingers. "I feel like you're just stating the facts and letting the reader fill in the rest. But if you're not going to have an opinion, then maybe you should consider going into reporting"

"I don't think it's right to try and persuade readers into a certain direction" Dan replied, looking at his boss questionably.

"It's not as much persuading your readers, as it is that you don't seem to believe in anything. And to be perfectly honest, that worries me" Josh explained, facing Dan.

Dan opened his mouth but then shut it with nothing coming out. The internship he landed was slowly eating away at him and he was starting to doubt his writing ability.

"How about you go get me some coffee" Josh proposed, leading Dan to sigh and realize it was time to get back to work and be the person people shit on.

* * *

When Blair arrived home from Yale, both the Rose's and Waldorf's were awaiting her at the penthouse. Even Aaron came by to say hello.

Her mother was now married to a man shorter than her, and Blair sometimes couldn't help but wonder how her mother went from a man of the stature of her father to the trivial Cyrus.

"When does your internship begin?" Eleanor asked, cutting at her tilapia in the dining room where the rest were having dinner.

Blair looked across and met her brother's smile. She's probably told her mother a million times by now, but it's rather obvious she never listened.

"Next week" Blair answered and took a small elegant bite off her fork.

Eight months in Connecticut made having dinner in New York a little strange for Blair. First being the amount of forks she had to choose from.

Like always, Cyrus was on the brink of making a toast. She could feel it. When she heard the clinking of a wine glass, her lips curved slightly and she listened to the little man spill out witty, yet beautiful words that just fit the moment perfectly.

* * *

Dinner was over, leaving Aaron to say goodbye before he headed out. With only free time ahead of her, Blair went up to her room and began unpacking. It took her some time to rearrange her closet and she could hear her mother walking over to her own bedroom to catch some sleep.

Right when the door to her mother's bedroom shut, her phone vibrated and she looked over the screen to see text from her brother, who was telling her to come by the terrace.

Blair quietly crept down the staircase and set foot out in the terrace to see her brother smoking from a bowl, gesturing her over with his head.

"Some things never change" Blair said and approached the railing of their terrace.

Tyler smirked and handed Blair over the bowl with a lighter. "And some things do"

Things sure did change for Blair. She always liked to smoke, but when college came around, she didn't feel ashamed of it anymore. College was about experimentation right?

"I may make honor roll this time" Tyler said, shoving his hands down the pockets of his robe and laughing a little.

Blair rolled her eyes. "Mom will be proud"

"How did you do it?" Tyler asked as Blair let the THC make its way down to her lungs. "You made high honors every semester, and I'm here, just happy if I can get straight B's"

"I was motivated" Blair finally answered, after letting the smoke out of her mouth. "I wanted mom to see nothing less than perfection, which now that I think of it, sounds pretty sad"

"Well it worked"

"It did" Blair agreed and smiled, handing over the bowl to Tyler.

She slid her hair behind her ear and leaned over the railing to view the smoking chimneys of the buildings beneath them. Connecticut was much quieter and sometimes she would miss knowing that there were people alive out there.

"Did you hear about Nate?" Tyler asked as he held his breath and let the smoke simmer down to his lungs.

Her eyes drifted down and a sad smile formed on her lips. "No, I haven't spoken to him for some time now"

She also unsubscribed to Gossip Girl, because let's face it, nothing good comes out of that website and she preferred not to be distracted while in college.

"Blair" Tyler eyes turned serious, as the mood shifted. "He's dealing over at USC"

Blair shut her eyes in disappointment. She knew things were bad for Nate, but they were worse than she imagined. She sort of got lost in college with her new friends and lost track of her old ones.

"That's awful. I wish I could help, but he's not really speaking to me right now" Blair said.

Tyler nodded sadly and handed over the bowl.

* * *

With some of his new co-workers, Dan headed over to an upscale rooftop bar. There was something special about every season in New York, but he had to admit summer was his favorite. As he entered the roof, he played with the top button of his button down nervously.

No matter how many parties and bars he had been to over the years, there would always be some nerves when he would first arrive.

"Heineken please" Dan asked and slid his money over to the bartender on the other end.

He leaned his elbow over the glass bar, and looked down to see the rows of men and women awaiting their drinks.

And then he saw her. She was smiling with a few other girls and scoping out the men on the floor while sipping on her martini in her yellow knee-high sundress. Her waist was slim as ever and he always loved the way her dress would stick seamlessly against her body.

Dan's heard a lot about things about Blair since graduating high school, and not much of it was good.

"Here you are" The bartender said, catching Dan's attention.

He grabbed his drink, thanked the bartender and made his way over to Blair and her circle of friends.

When he laid eyes on Blair's friends, he felt like he was in high school all over again, except they weren't wearing headbands and Kati was pregnant.

Why she was in a bar he could never understand, but that was how some people rolled.

"I saw you when I was over there in the corner and um…I thought I'd say hi" Dan said, holding a reserved smile.

He then glanced over at Kati, Is, and the other girls from high school.

"Ladies" He greeted and kneeled in a gentlemen way playfully, leading them to giggle.

"What exactly are you doing in New York?" Blair asked as Dan took a swig from his Heineken.

Dan cleared his throat and met Blair's eyes. "I have an internship for the New Yorker"

A smile formed on Blair's lips as she met Dan's eyes. "Congratulations"

"How about you?" He lifted his hand so it was pointed in her direction.

"I have an internship with Sullivan & Cromwell"

She was doing law like her father and he didn't know what to think of it. Blair was like a shark, so he could easily picture her ruling in the court room, but he always thought she would be working in the fashion industry instead.

He watched her lean off the bar and then he followed her eyes to over his shoulder where a tall blonde was staring in her direction.

"It was nice catching up to you Dan" Blair said and began making her way past him.

Dan let his eyes drift down to his shoes. "Right"

He released a deep breath and let his tongue taste the corner of his lip, thinking if he should just let her walk away. But the scent of her Chanel No. 5 hit his nose and he realized he couldn't.

"I got accepted into Yale" Dan blurted out and slowly turned around to see her frozen with her back to him. "I just received my letter last night"

Blair turned around and folded her arms across her chest, with the weight of her body on one leg. She still had that posture that spelled attitude, making him smile.

"I was hoping we could be friends" Dan added and cautiously approached her with a smug grin slowly spreading across his lip. "Maybe even lovers in secret if you'd prefer"

Blair fought a smile and shook her head. "I have to go Dan"

A crease formed in-between his brows. "Where? To V-neck over there" She raised her brows amusedly. "He's pretty, if you're into that sort of thing"

Blair took him in and he could sense her breathing becoming a little heavy. She had this little bow on the top of her head that matched her dress and it was driving him crazy.

"You're trying to distract me with your whimsical words" Blair said as she gave him a pressed lip smile which displayed those dimples he loved dearly.

Blair loved games, but so much time had passed since they had spoken, he remained unsure if she still did.

"Is it working?" Dan smirked.

Blair's eyes fell from their linked gaze and she looked a little sad. "I should go"

She ignored his question and he watched her walk off to the tall blonde, leading him to take a swig from his bottle.

* * *

Dan couldn't believe he was back, but he needed to speak with his sister. So before work, he ascended up the MET Steps, where he found Jenny sitting, and surrounded by other girls dressed similarly. Like always, the girls at Constance were filled with energy and gossiping about something that was futile.

Jenny lifted her eyes. "Hello brother"

Dan placed his messenger bag down and sat beside Jenny as her friend scooted over to make room for him. He heard some clicking and knew it was most likely some girls taking pictures with their phone's.

"I really wish you'd take my calls" Dan said, and scratched the side of his smooth cheeks with the ends of his fingers.

"I really wish you weren't my brother" Jenny replied and rose to her feet, with her friends doing instantly the same.

Dan threw his hands out and let his eyes soften. "Come on Jen, when is this going to end?"

Jenny snapped her head over to his direction and he could see the fire burning in her eyes. Suddenly, his little sister wasn't so little.

"I saw the Gossip Girl post" Jenny told him, leading Dan to shut his eyes. He had completely forgotten how Gossip Girl still followed him. "What were you doing with her?"

"I ran into her at a bar, but nothing happened. We literally spoke for a minute" Dan explained and rose to his feet to be on the same eye level as his sister.

Jenny folded her arms across her chest and shook her head. "It doesn't matter anyway. For the past two years, I've hardly seen you, and you think just because your back in New York, everything will magically be fine between us?"

"No, I didn't think we would be perfectly fine, but I did think you'd want at least to start over"

"Well, I don't" Jenny said and started backing away. "I prefer not to speak to people who stab me in the back"

She turned around and descended down the steps with her friends, leaving Dan to curse under his breath in a self-scolding manner.

* * *

After a longs day work, Dan arrived to his building. He slowly made his way up the staircase and finally stepped through his one room apartment, where there was an office desk by the small window and his bed was only a few feet away from it.

The room was a little larger than the dorm room he had spent his past school year in. However, his dorm room was better maintained, since he could still feel the little legs of a cockroach on his foot as he brushed his teeth earlier in the morning.

From his small rectangular fridge on the floor, Dan took out a bottle of Corona, and loosened his tie as he sat on the computer chair in front of his desk. A tired sigh left his mouth as he stared at the blank page jammed in his typewriter.

More than anything, Dan wanted to be wealthy. After his father married Lily, expectations were made and the whole Upper East Side community would look down on him if the step-son of Lily Van Der Woodsen was only a mere free-lance writer. Not to mention how badly he wanted to be equals with Blair.

His phone rang, disrupting his thoughts and he looked at the phone screen to see it was his father. He tossed the phone on his bed and began typing away.


	2. Chapter 2

_Thanks for the kind words for the previous chapter. This one is a flashback as most of the chapters in this story will be. And just as an FYI, I probably won't be updating any fics for a while now, but don't worry, it's only things that have to do with life and not for a lack of inspiration._

_Also, to answer one of the reviewers question, the present time frame takes place just after Dan and Blair have finished their sophomore year's of their respective college's_

* * *

**Flashback**

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**.**

**.**

The days passed and the heat only grew. Vanessa was gone and living with her parent's for the summer, leaving Dan to spend his days in solitude.

It was times like these he wished his father had placed him in public school instead. He could easily picture spending his late summer afternoons meeting up in the local park and playing wiffleball with his friends after work. And then when night rolled around, they would spend their night searching for a way to get alcohol.

The thought of a normal teenage life made him smile.

On a late Thursday evening, Dan was hunched over his desk, scribbling on a notebook. He could feel the wet tip of his hair pressed against his forehead as he concentrated on the task at hand.

God forbid his father allows him to use the air conditioner in his room.

Whenever Dan had a plot, he liked to use his laptop, however, if he was still brainstorming, he preferred a notebook. Besides, he thought it helped improve his penmanship.

The lamp flickered on and off, leaving Dan to rub his face in frustration. It was hot and he was tired. It also didn't help that he didn't have much inspiration these days.

"I fucking hate you!" Jenny screamed out on the top of her lungs and Dan heard the door to her room slam shut.

A sigh left his lips. Another day had passed, and another fight between his father and his sister begun. Dan pushed his desk chair back and left his room to check on his father. Jenny was becoming more and more difficult to handle. She had a particular idea of what her life outside of school should be like. However, in her mind, their father was getting in the way of that.

* * *

Blair's eyes slowly fluttered open from deep slumber and her throat felt dry as she was in dire need of water. Slowly, her hand slid its way down to her hip, where she could feel the burning sensation mounting from his thumb once pressing into her skin.

"Why is this happening to me?" Blair shut her eyes.

Before Dan, she could remember how she would feel like screaming because there was no one else to talk to. Things had changed since then, and due to her relationship with Serena being strong again, she wasn't certain she needed Dan. But the question that would always linger is if she could trust Serena more than him.

The break up was unquestionably getting to her. It was not something Blair liked to admit, but her dreams never lie. So, she sat up and rubbed her forehead tiredly, before slipping off the bed and going to the bathroom, in the hopes she would stop dreaming about that asshole.

* * *

Tyler sighed, sitting on the lounge chair by the window. "I wish Dan was here"

Blair threw the magazine she was reading across the room in Tyler's direction, leading him to shield himself with his arm.

Spending the summer in France sounded amazing at first, but sightseeing alone was not the most fun experience. She did shop a lot, but there was only so much a girl can shop. There was a limit to everything.

"This sucks" Tyler said and frowned. "I thought the summer with Dad would be fun"

"I have to concur on that point. Although, that may be because I never considered we'd be spending every evening with Daddy" Blair replied.

Her attention strayed away from Tyler when she heard the doorbell to her father's chateau ring. Blair stood off the leather loveseat and made her way over to the foyer.

When she opened the door, her jaw dropped at the sight of a tan Serena standing right in front of her.

"B!" Serena shouted excitedly and hugged her.

She had to admit Serena's timing was perfect.

* * *

The first day Serena arrived; they went out and left Tyler alone at home. She planned on having a drink, but still considered her brother too young to join them. Besides, she doesn't know how her brother would feel seeing her mingle with other boys.

Blair considered using her father's chauffeur, but she went against the idea because she didn't want it getting back to her father. So they took a taxi to a high end nightclub Serena heard good things about.

"I'm so happy you're single B" Serena said, with that sunshine smile of hers in the backseat of the taxi. "We're going to have so much fun this summer"

A small reserved smile cracked on Blair's lips and she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, looking down shyly.

"Have you spoken to Dan?" Blair asked, eyeing her little pale fingers.

Serena frowned. It was like the sunny mood in backseat of the taxi instantly shifted.

"Only through email" Serena told her coolly and stared out the window.

This was what she hated. Whenever Dan's name was brought up, there would be a sense of tension roaming around them. It didn't go by her that Serena had always known Dan was not the one to post the diary entries, and her supposed best friend let it slip by for a month. If Dan had never shoved it in her face, she would've never known.

Not that it mattered. Humphrey had shown his true colors. Her first instincts were right about him. He's judgmental and because of his morality, they would never work. Blair didn't need someone beneath her looking down on her.

"Is he okay?"

"You two broke up. It's not the end of the world Blair" Serena replied.

Taking a deep breath through her nose, Blair tried to remain calm. She didn't like Serena's tone at all. Her inner bitch side was fighting its way out, but she suppressed it.

Everything was a competition between them and Blair understood that. But this time, she had hoped Serena would take her word for it when she said they were over; because they were. Blair didn't have any plans on chasing Dan, or even speaking to him for that matter.

However, that didn't mean she didn't care. She wasn't a heartless bitch Dan made her out to be.

"Anyways, have you spoken to your mother since the disaster?" Blair asked in an attempt to change the subject.

"Yeah, she's back in New York now. She said didn't want to get divorced again and that's why she ditched Bart" Serena explained and then shrugged her shoulders.

"Good for her"

* * *

Blair sipped on her martini and presented a delicious smile for the cute French boy staring at her. She wasn't a fan of his five o'clock shadow per se, but his long beautiful slicked backed dark hair made up for it.

She heard the boy next to her sniff, making attempt to catch her scent. She scrunched her nose instantly in disgust. Serena had already found a boy she liked, but unfortunately, that boy had a friend she was not the least bit attracted to.

Serena was already tonguing the boy and sometimes it was difficult for Blair to believe how fast her friend worked. Blair herself preferred taking it slow and enjoying the whole build up. She liked teasing and making them work for it. To her, the boy would have to be really special to get any of her goods.

"Pardon me"

Blair lifted her eyes up to see the boy who had caught her eye earlier.

"Hi" He pointed to himself. "I'm Franck"

Blair didn't let her lips curl, making sure she looked unreadable.

"Blair"

"That's a beautiful name" Franck smiled. "Can I ask your hand for this dance?"

Blair looked over to Serena practically groping a boy and then looked back at Franck with a smile.

"Why not" Blair said.

* * *

Franck keeps her company for the rest of the night, or entertained as some would say. To her disappointment, Serena was having sex in the bathroom with someone who was practically a stranger. Of course she has had sex in the bathroom before, but it was with Dan, who was her boyfriend at the time.

Serena was reckless at times, but that was Serena and the other girl was only someone she pretended to be so she could please Lily, or even someone like Dan. Serena should be with someone who accepted her for her, and she couldn't say that was something Dan did.

"Let's go" A disheveled Serena said, squeezing Blair's arm.

"Thanks for the memories" Blair said, turning her attention to Franck.

Blair was sliding off the booth but then Franck placed his hand on top of her arm to stop her.

Franck smugly grinned. "No kiss?"

Blair smiled devilishly and leaned in, but stopped right before their lips met as his eyes shut. "Not even in your wildest dreams"

Blair pulled away and let Serena guide her out of the nightclub.

And that was how rest of her summer in France was spent.

* * *

It was so quiet; he could hear the wax from the lit candle drip. All of a sudden, money had become very important to Dan. Just like before, he started collecting money in the hopes it would help him pay for college, but Dan knew there was very little chance of him or his father being able to afford paying tuition without a large sum of financial aid.

Dan was carefully rubbing the wet cloth over the table when he heard a light window tap. He tilted his head to see Nate standing there in front of the coffee shop.

The golden boy was smiling in his Lacoste Polo. They still had yet to speak to one another since the incident and the anger he felt towards Nate dissipated. He knew it was time to realize that his sister wasn't a little girl anymore and was responsible for her own actions.

Dan opened the door. "Hey"

When Dan provided him with enough space to enter, Nate took a step forward and looked around the place.

"It's been a while" Nate said.

"It has" Dan agreed as he shoved his hands in his pocket and laughed a little. His eyes shyly drifted down to his boots. "I missed your bangs"

Nate looked down shyly as well and kicked the tip of his shoe against the floor nervously. "I missed your curls"

"Would you like some coffee?"

"Nah" Nate waved him off with his hand. "I just wanted to catch up"

Dan nodded and pulled up a chair. When he sat down, he gestured his friend to take a seat with his hand.

Nate took a seat by the table, as his eyes scattered the place. "So you're still working here"

"I am" Dan sighed and couldn't help but notice how romantic the setting was. "I'm probably going to quit though"

"Why?" Nate asked.

"The pay is horrible and it's not getting me anywhere. I'd rather spend free time writing" Dan explained and shrugged his shoulders.

He had already collected two months' worth of pay, and thought the idea of saving money for college was pointless.

"You should consider coming with me to the Hamptons" Nate suggested and leaned in with a smile. "Who doesn't want to wake up to the sound of the ocean?"

"I don't know" Dan said warily, leaning back against his chair.

"Dude, your single and…" Nate eyed him up and down as a smirk tugged his lips. "Not bad to look at"

Dan's brows rose in surprise. "Yeah, I don't like where this is going"

"All I'm saying is that having some fun wouldn't be such a bad thing" Nate said and shrugged his shoulders, before falling back on his chair.

Dan sighed, looking in deep thought and was actually considering it.

* * *

Blair was screaming in horror as she stared at her reflection.

The door to her bedroom opened and Serena's head popped through. "Is everything alright?"

A wide eyed Blair turned around, untied her robe, and slightly lowered the tip of her panties to show the new tattoo just below her waistline. Serena couldn't suppress her laughter, leading Blair to glare.

"Do you remember me doing this?" Blair asked rather hastily.

"I don't, but I wish I did" Serena replied and leaned in to get a closer look on the heart shaped tattoo. "We have to tell Dan"

Blair covered herself up and gasped in horror. "You will do no such thing"

"I think your subconscious is telling you something" Serena teased and giggled. Blair narrowed her eyes at Serena. "You still have the hots for Hum Drum Humphrey"

"Serena" Blair whined and fell on her bed face first, which was an awful idea when being hung over from the previous night.

"Don't worry B, you'll get it removed" Serena reassured her and laughed her way out of the room to pack her luggage.

When Serena was gone, Blair rolled over on her back and bit her lower lip, as her fingers traced down to the throbbing pain. She outlined the three letters with her index finger.

_Dan_

* * *

There was nothing for him in Brooklyn. So Dan left for the Hamptons with Nate. He didn't know how to feel about mooching off his best friend as he never considered himself to be one of those people, but he was stuck in a place where the only way to have fun was to let Nate take him along for a ride.

The Hampton's was everything he imagined and more. During Bart's wedding, he didn't get the opportunity to spend much time in the Hamptons seeing as how Lily had ditched her wedding, but now that he was free to roam around, he truly began to appreciate the beauty of it.

Nate took him everywhere. They went to a golf course and realized it was the most frustrating sport in the world. He actually preferred it when they played croquet, but he managed and got to know Nate's family who were filled with class and elegance. Not one person in Nate's family looked down on him. Either they were very good politicians or they were just good people.

Most of his days were filled with sailing. Nate attempted to teach him and he was able to slowly grasp it. Sailing was probably his favorite activity. There was nothing more beautiful than the sun and the ocean. One of the best things about it was the fact that they would fish, which made him feel normal because it was familiar territory. Watching a Polo match was something he doesn't think he could ever get used to, but being alone on a boat with Nate was where he felt most comfortable.

By the time they would arrive in the Archibald mansion, Chuck would always be waiting for them. He didn't know what exactly Chuck did during the day, but by nightfall, he would always be with them. To his surprise, Dan liked Chuck. He was fun, crazy, and meshed in perfectly with them. Dan felt some relief, considering there was a sense of insecurity of how he would fit in with both Chuck and Nate, who had been best friends since they were in kindergarten.

"Do I have to?" Nate whined, sitting on the couch next to Dan in the hardwood floor living room, with a laptop lying on his thighs and the ocean overlooking their background.

Sometimes watching YouTube videos after getting high really hit the spot.

Anne's eyes stretched in anger. "Nathaniel, you will do as I say. You've certainly been lacking in the social scene department and people are starting to talk"

"What could they be possibly saying?" Nate sighed.

"People think you're a Street Roamer. I'm even starting to hear some say drugs are involved" Anne replied, eyes filled with fear at the thought. "So you will be coming to this barbeque" Anne then quickly raised her hand to stop Nate from speaking up. "And before you ask. Yes, you're allowed to bring Daniel along"

In a blink of an eye, Anne left without giving Nate the chance to add anything.

"By the way, Blair's back tomorrow" Nate told Dan and placed the laptop aside. "She sent me a text last night"

"Things are starting to finally get interesting around here" Chuck said as he arrived from kitchen in his white pants and black polo.

"Well Serena will be with her so…" Nate added and made a mewling sound, pretending to be a cat which indicated a cat fight.

Dan could only shake his head while Chuck laughed and hopped on the couch.

"You've been in touch with Serena right?" Chuck inquired.

"She emailed me back in June, but I haven't responded" Dan answered, looking in deep thought.

A smirk formed on Chuck's lips. "Really? I thought you would be jumping on that the minute you were single"

"Serena's fun and attractive, but I didn't find her to be a good girlfriend. In fact, I don't think she knows what it means to be a girlfriend" Dan explained.

"I hear you there brother" Nate chimed in and shook his head. "She took my virginity and ran away"

A crease formed in-between Dan's brows as he turned his head over to Nate. "That's apples and oranges"

"Still, it was a total bitch move" Nate pointed out, leading Dan to smile and run a hand through his hair.

There was no way for him to avoid both girls any longer. The four of them were best friends and he was the outsider looking in.

* * *

Blair was finally back in the states. With Serena joining her, they decided to stay in the summer home her mother rented out for her. They could have stayed in Cece's summer home, but they elected privacy over size.

Letting out a happy sigh, Blair opened the backdoor, connecting to the deck outside and took in the well-furnished living room. The design certainly met her standards.

"It's perfect B" Serena said and smiled at Blair.

Blair let herself fall on the soft comfy white sofa, grinning madly.

"Three weeks in heaven" Blair agreed and then sat up, brows furrowing creasing in worry as a problem suddenly popped in her head. "I don't believe mother hired a maid"

"Then we'll just have to clean up after ourselves" Serena said, tossing her bag aside on the sofa and make her way over the kitchen. Blair frowned at the idea.

When she heard Serena gasp, she hurried over the black marble top kitchen to see an open mouthed Serena.

"There's no food in the fridge B" Serena told Blair.

Blair took a deep breath through her nose, trying her best to not get too crazy on their first day in the Hamptons.

"My mother must have forgotten a lot of things" Blair said and shut her eyes.

"Well I suppose we can go to the grocery store" Serena replied, trying to keep everything light, but Blair could only scrunch her nose.

* * *

Grocery shopping wasn't all that bad. She liked having the freedom of roaming around and selecting whatever she wanted to eat. Typically, she would just give Dorota a list of items, but there were things she never realized existed before actually being in the store. However, the significant amount of meat lying around was appalling.

"Do you want milk B?" Serena asked, tapping her foot impatiently as she was in deep thought on which brand to buy.

"When you buy milk, you should always grab the one in the back"

They turned around and saw Dan Humphrey standing before their eyes in a gray half sleeve Henley and black pants. Even with the grotesque wardrobe, Blair couldn't help but notice how good he looked. He was tanner and still skinny, but his arms were more defined.

Serena smiled and met Dan's eyes. "Oh my god! Dan!"

Blair's eyes slowly drifted down to Dan's hand and she narrowed her eyes at the packet of condoms he was holding.

"I would keep my distance Serena. We don't know where he's been" Blair said with that fake sweet smile of hers.

Surprisingly, the temperature in her blood rose as she couldn't help but be jealous. It was always one of her weaker points, but this time, it was going to be different. Dan had every right to be with other girls and she had come to terms with that.

"These aren't for me" Dan replied and rubbed the back of his head nervously. "I was on my wa-"

Blair put a hand out and shut her eyes in annoyance. "I'm sorry, why am I listening to this?"

Dan let out a breath of disbelief and then shook his head. "Wow, I really missed you Blair"

That dry sarcasm reeking out of his voice made her fingers curl into a fist. The boy had some gall on him.

"What are you even doing here? And please don't tell me there are actually women in the Hamptons slumming it"

"You were slumming it only 3 months ago!" Dan threw his hands out in frustration.

Blair folded her arms across her chest. "Two words, three syllables…Brain damage"

Dan's eyes widened. "Oh you did not just go there women"

"Stop it!" Serena yelled and looked at the two in disbelief. "Can we please be civilized. We're out in public"

"Then I would tell your boy toy over here to stop being so sensitive" Blair replied, eyeing him from toe to head. Her eyes landed on his beautiful clenched jaw and it was clear he was holding back.

Dan was always more mature then her.

"I'm outta here" Dan told them and started walking away.

Blair rolled her eyes. "Come on S, let's go to the produce section"

She headed in the other direction, hoping Serena would follow. However, her heart was heavy and her breathing was unsteady. The way he acted made it difficult for her to be cold towards him. He was such a soft and gentle person who rarely ever insulted her, no matter what the circumstances were.

Serena wasn't pleased with her behavior, and Blair knew her friend had the right to be upset. Attacking Dan would always make things worse, especially when they will be crossing paths more than she would like.

Once they were done with shopping, they restacked the fridge and left for their separate rooms to change for the barbeque being held by the Richard's.

Like always, she planned on leaving with Chuck and Nate. Serena let her know they would all be meeting at Anne Archibald's home and so when she was ready, she took a walk over to Nate's considering it was only a few blocks away from their place.

When Blair arrived at the house, no one was answering the door. She did not want to walk back as she was already feeling the sweat forming from the walk. So she went around the back towards the pool and noticed the pool house. There was no doubt in her mind that was where Dan had been staying.

Turning the knob, Blair took a peak and heard the shower running. Since no one appeared to be in the Archibald home, she thought it would be best to wait for Dan.

She took a seat on the edge of the bed and began to check her phone for messages. There were some emails from school. It was August and she had been going back and forth with some of her club members from the various school clubs she was in. Not to mention there were also texts' inquiring on what she was wearing and a few on some juicy gossip.

The sound of a phone vibrating against wood of the dresser caught Blair's attention. She instantly arched a brow from the thought of checking Dan's phone. It was obviously an invasion of privacy, but it was also an opportunity she couldn't resist.

Blair grabbed the phone off the dresser and saw a Gossip Girl blast about a student's affair with the school janitor. She slid the unlock key of Dan's IPhone and a password was required.

His password was the day and month of her birthday, which was unbelievable. Thinking back on how much Dan wanted her caused a burning sensation that made its way all the way up and in-between her thighs.

She bit her lower lip and went through his phone. Of course he had over a hundred unread text messages. Only Dan Humphrey would ignore that many texts. It really bothered her how anti-social he would be at times. She never understood why he felt the need to be a loner. If he did a better job meshing with his peers, he would be much happier.

There was only one reason she truly wanted to look through Dan's phone. She searched Serena's name through his emails and found only one email during the dates of their current summer. It was from Serena asking him how he was and Blair couldn't help but notice he had not replied. Meaning, Serena lied to her.

Blair placed the phone back on the dresser and sat on the edge of the bed, looking in deep thought and feeling disappointed in Serena. It was hard to blame her best friend since Blair had done things just as bad, but she thought their summer together brought them close enough to the point where they wouldn't lie to one another anymore.

"Blair?"

She looked over her shoulder to see a wet Dan in a dress shirt and casual jacket. Blair stood on her heels and turned to face him.

"Humphrey"

"Um" Dan's eyes shifted corner to corner awkwardly. "What are you doing here?"

"No one was answering the door" Blair explained.

"I see" He strides over to the desk chair where his tie is placed. "Anne has already left and Nate is out with Chuck for a smoke"

She nodded and sat back down on the edge of the bed, staring at her pale little fingers. Dan rolled his computer chair over to sit in front of her, leaving her a little surprised.

He leaned over the chair with his elbows propped on his thighs. "I'm really sorry for the way things ended between us"

Blair lifted her chin high and proud. "There is nothing to apologize for. We didn't work. It's as simple as that"

"No" He shook his head adamantly and a look of dejection became of his features. "I ruined it. I let the people around us affect our relationship... But, I hope we can remain civil"

He flashed her a grin and stuck his hand out, offering her to take it. She hesitantly wrapped her fingers around his and shook his hand, feeling surprised he didn't want to start an all-out war of hurting each other. Sometimes Blair forgets he wasn't raised in the Upper East Side. There were no games with him as everything was genuine.

"I hope so too"

And she genuinely meant it.


	3. Chapter 3

_Yup, I finished this chapter a lot earlier than I expected. Its split up in-between both present and flashback. Also, I appreciated the reviews._

* * *

**Present**

.

.

.

Getting through traffic was hell for Dan, but it always was after work, especially on Fridays. What made it worse was that his trip was to the Upper East Side.

Rufus had invited him over for dinner, and it had become impossible for him to keep dodging his father's requests.

When he finally set foot in the foyer of Lily's home, Dan found it to be noticeably quiet. He cautiously headed over to the family room and poked his head through the entrance to get a better view, where he saw Serena sitting on the sofa and in deep discussion with Lily.

Somehow, even with her low SAT scores and an average GPA, Serena had been accepted into Brown, but she elected to take a year off. Eventually, one year away became two.

"Dan" Rufus said when he laid eyes on his son. He gestured over to the leather armchair. "Have a seat"

He sat in the armchair and stared across to see a suntanned Serena explaining what she had been up to. Whether it was good or bad, Dan didn't want to know.

"Dan, why don't you help Serena with the luggage?" Lilly proposed, leaving him to nod and follow Serena out of the living room and in front of the staircase.

"How is Evergreen State?" Serena asked, rubbing her arm nervously as they climbed up the staircase.

"It's refreshing" Dan answered and tried to keep his breathing even as he carried her suitcase up the stairs. The last thing he wanted was to look out of shape. "I'm still getting used to feeling normal"

Serena abruptly stopped and looked over her shoulder. "Anyone who looked down on you was a spoiled brat who was insecure about their place in this side of the city"

He swallowed nervously and nodded. She accepted his nod and ascended up the stairs again, leaving Dan a little flabbergasted.

"Wow, I really have to redecorate" Serena said as she took in her bedroom.

Dan smiled and folded his arms across his chest, leaning against the doorway while watching her move around the room and study each little thing from her past.

"I'm surprised you're talking to me" Dan admitted.

Serena turned around and held that perfect white tooth smile. "It's been two years"

"Right" Dan laughed a little. "I'm just used to people holding grudges around here"

"I never hold a grudge" Serena replied and met his eyes. "You of all people should know that"

"What I did is not something that you can just sweep under the rug"

Serena smiled sadly. "You were just following your heart and that's who you are. So why would I be mad for you being you?"

"Jesus Serena" Dan bit his lower lip and looked down, tapping the tip of his shoe against the carpet nervously. "You're making me feel like a jerk"

He didn't understand why Serena was so nice. She had everything practically handed to her, and yet they were always similar in the way they treated others.

"That's because you are" Jenny chimed in and joined them in Serena's bedroom with an eye rolling Eric following behind.

She then greeted Serena excitedly, and hugged her like she was a long lost best friend she knew from her childhood. However Eric, who was Serena's actual blood, gave her a calm, welcoming hug, but then again, Dan never understood women in the first place.

"You know…it wouldn't be such a bad idea to invite Blair over. I bet she would love to see her best friend" Dan threw out the idea, leading everyone's smile to fade and stare at Dan strangely.

Eric snapped his fingers, like a thought just popped in his head. "Oh shoot, I forgot to show you my email from Pat"

"Right" Dan gathered and followed Eric out of Serena's room.

"You need help" Eric replied and turned his body to face Dan in the hallway. "You're obsessed with her"

"I think the word you're looking for is infatuated" Dan countered.

It was the same meaning, but infatuated sounded better. The word obsessed was creepy, and Dan didn't want it associated with himself. However, he could understand why Eric used the word, as the majority of their email threads consisted of Blair.

Eric sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Don't worry, you'll get to see her tonight"

"Oh, so she is joining us for dinner?" Dan inquired.

Eric's brows rose amusedly as he shook his head. "No, mom's throwing a party tonight"

Dan let his eyes shut in a self-scolding manner. He let his father trick him into coming, because there was no way Dan planned on attending one of Lily's swanky Upper East Side parties. Of course his father could not resist introducing his son who was attending some hippy ridden college up in Washington.

With little choice in the matter, he sighed and left the hallway for downstairs to ask Lily if she had any suit's lying around.

* * *

"God dam" Georgina said, eyeing Dan up and down, who was over at the bar.

Blair scrunched her nose in disgust with Georgina's lewd comment. There were certain behavioral standards needing to be complied by when attending an Upper East Side party. Obviously, no one had informed Georgina.

Blair arched a brow. "Is there a reason you're here?"

A smirk formed on Georgina's lips. "How can I attend a party and not give my best wishes to the lovely Blair Waldorf"

She couldn't help but rolls her eyes. It was unclear as to why Georgina was still roaming around, causing havoc. Blair always thought it was because Georgina enjoyed tormenting people, but who knew what was going on inside that head of hers.

Blair gave Georgina a fake smile. "What a kind gesture"

"Anyways, the sole reason I'm here is to let you know Carter Baizen is back in town" Georgina said and let her eyes narrow to get a better read on Blair.

"Why would that concern me?"

"I suppose it wouldn't" Georgina replied as her lips curled into devilish smile, making Blair shiver. Georgina took Blair in one last time and brushed passed her shoulder, leaving Blair to swallow hard.

Blair shut her eyes in annoyance. She was so over high school, and yet every time she would visit New York, it felt like she was in high school, where most of her days were filled with drama.

"You and that shakespearean guy seem to be hitting it off"

She opened her eyes and pressed her lips tightly before turning around to see Dan pointing his beer bottle over to the shoulder length haired boy she was speaking to earlier.

Blair sighed. "Dan, now is not the time"

Dan tilted his head playfully. "You're playing hard to get"

"No, I'm playing unavailable" Blair told him.

He chuckled and she saw his eyes dance around hers in pure delight, making her soften instantly.

"Your sister is watching intently" Blair said as she saw Jenny burning a hole through Dan's back.

"Yeah, she has issues" Dan crinkled his brows in worry.

She couldn't help but bite her lip to stop from smiling. It was nerve-racking to be around him again and many thoughts were running through her head; like whether or not he found her as attractive as before.

"We can't do this right now" Blair murmured as she looked down shyly.

"What about after this party, when everyone thinks I'll be in Brooklyn?" Dan proposed, looking hopeful.

"Okay" Blair said quietly, avoiding his eyes, and fighting a smile.

* * *

The sound of thunder striking caused Dan to flinch and his heart to pound out of his chest. He let his eyes slowly drifted over to Blair, who was amused with his reflexes. He wondered if there was anything she truly feared.

"It's pouring outside" Blair said as her curious eyes struck over to the window where the entrance of the coffee house lied.

A smile formed on Dan's lips as he watched her gaze out the window. She was still in her floor length dress, but her hair was tied up and gave him a good view of her lovely neck. The thought of pressing a soft kiss on right below her ear and watching her eyes roll back made his breath hitch.

She blew on her steaming tea and let her doe eyes fall on his. "So why exactly have you beckoned me?"

She acted as if he never crossed her mind; like she didn't spend countless nights at low key college dorm parties, comparing him to the other boys she would cross paths with. Dan ached for her, and he couldn't imagine it being any easier for her.

"I just want to talk to you"

She let her lips curl a little while her eyes fill with want and desire. That look she offered would always take his breath away and intensify things times a hundred.

"You always were a man of words and not of actions" Blair replied.

"Would you prefer me to bend you over that table and take you along for a ride?"

Dan shut his eyes the instant those words came out of his mouth. It was exactly what she wanted. What made it worse was that he was hard and she knew it.

"It would be a start" Blair said and took a sip from her cup of tea.

That twisted girl he knew back in high school was still there, edging the lines and waiting to pounce. He rubbed his face tiredly with his hand and let her erratic heartbeat do most of the talking. Hearing her heavy breathing, his eyes slowly made their way over to her chest and could see it heaving back and forth.

"I missed you" Dan confessed as his eyes softened.

Blair's eyes fell onto her nails. "I couldn't tell"

The pain in her eyes was evident. She did her best to hide it, but she could never remain hidden from him for long.

"I wanted to call you, but I thought it would disrupt your life ya know" Dan explained.

"So why now?" Blair asked.

"I need to make a decision on whether or not I plan on transferring to Yale" Dan told Blair.

She arched a brow. "Yale is big enough for the both of us"

"Only if you choose to ignore me" A smirk played along Dan's lips and her smiled soon followed. He loved it when she would hold that beautiful smile of hers. "Do you remember that brunch, when you introduced yourself?"

Blair beamed, eyes lighting up with joy at the memory. "Of course I do. How could I forget?"

"I remember thinking wow, Serena's friend is gorgeous" Dan admitted, looking mesmerized with the beauty lying in front of him.

She took a deep breath through her nostrils and shut her eyes. He loved seeing Blair readable. She was more open than he remembered and there was some hint of softness to her now.

"But then the cabbage patch line happened and that initial attraction started to wear off" Dan said as he laughed a little, leaning back on his chair.

A sad smile formed on Blair's lips. "I was horrible wasn't I?"

"You were a lot to handle" Dan agreed in a teasing way. "But I loved that dark side to you because it made you who you are. You're a competitive firecracker who doesn't take shit from anyone. Rather you chew them up, and I don't think you would be that way if you didn't have a little darkness"

Not to mention her dark side put their sex life on another stratosphere, but he wasn't planning on getting into that.

Blair smiled coyly and stared down at her drink. "So…Tell me about the New Yorker"

"It sucks" Dan confessed and sighed. "I want to write stories about imaginary worlds in my head, but working at the New Yorker makes me feel more like a columnist"

"It's an internship silly. Don't let it bother you. The most important thing is that you can put it on your resume"

"The thing is…I'm starting to have some serious doubts in my writing ability" Dan said sounding worried.

"Humphrey" She stared at him looking appalled. "Why would you ever say such a thing?"

"Because it's true" Dan chuckled and leaned closer over the table between them. "The only thing I can write about is the Upper East Side"

Blair arched a brow. "And why is that such a bad thing?"

"I don't want to be a sellout" Dan shrugged his shoulders. "Anything I write will intrude on the privacy of the people I care about"

She nodded and a sense of relief washed over him. It was nice to finally talk to someone about the problems he faced. Blair understood him well, and if he was wrong in anyway, she was never afraid of being honest.

They stared at each other, taking in the little things they missed during the years they had been away at college. Blair told him everything. From how difficult of a transition it was at first, to how much she loves it now.

As they were in the middle of discussing whose freshman roommate was worse, Blair's phone rang and rudely interrupted their conversation.

"You can take it" Dan said.

Blair gave him an apologetic smile and reached for her phone, but when her eyes caught glimpse of the phone screen, she frowned and shoved the phone back in her purse.

"It's my mother" She waved him off with her hand and then tucked her curled fingers under her chin fingers to stare at him dreamily. "So, where were we?"

A crease formed in-between his brows. "Why didn't you pick it up?"

"Do I really have to spell it out for you?" Blair asked and raised her brows. Dan simply nodded and waited, which earned him a sigh. "Humphrey, if I tell her I'm out with a friend, she'll know it's you"

"I thought your mom liked me"

"You are trouble Dan Humphrey" Blair said, leading Dan to chuckle. "You may have that boy next door charm, but there are times where you can be very callous"

* * *

**Flashback**

**.**

**.**

**.**

Summer slowly drifts away and the school year begins. Everything moved so fast, she sort of lost track of Dan. It's senior year and there are too many parties for her to keep an eye on one boy. Especially if that boy rarely comes out from his cave in Brooklyn.

She stood by the wall of a living room surrounded by girls that were practically kissing her feet and treating her like a god. It was getting boring.

Everything was boring now. Her days were filled with school, studying, and then the weekends would come along and she would watch everyone get shitfaced. Blair sipped her from her drink and let it burn down her throat. Her eyes scanned around until they reached the boy she was looking for.

Blair approached the chestnut haired boy. "Chris?"

The boy's eyes left his group of friends for her. "Yeah"

Blair lips curled into a devilish smile. "Hi, my name is Blair"

* * *

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Dan asked as he stood in the elevator with Nate.

"Who else would know more?" Nate smirked.

There was no doubt Blair would be able to help him. The only problem was whether or not she would be welcome to the idea. They haven't spoken much, considering he didn't know what to say. How does he go back to being friends with Blair Waldorf? Everytime they argued, he would kiss her to shut her up. Now, there doesn't seem to be a solution.

When the door to the elevators finally opened, Dan followed Nate and took a step into the foyer. They made their way over to the family room where Blair was sitting on the white ottoman and flipping through a magazine.

Blair's eyes lifted from the magazine and landed straight on Dan. A devilish smile became of her lips as she tossed the magazine aside. Rising to her feet, she placed a hand on her hip and met Dan's eyes.

"Dan Humphrey. Where have you been hiding?"

He couldn't help but smile and rub the back of his head nervously. Blair was still that cool minded haughty bitch. If someone got to her, she never let it show.

Nate pointed over to Dan. "Dan here would like to get a full ride to College"

"And…" Blair gestured for Nate to fill in the blanks.

"We think you can help" Nate answered and looked at Dan.

There was a spark of intrigue that flashed in her eyes, making Dan swallow hard. And then an up to no good smile spread across her glossy lips.

"Okay" Blair grabbed Dan's wrist. "I'll take it from here" She waved Nate off with her hand and pulled Dan deeper into the family room.

She folded her knees and sat on the ottoman so that she was facing him. With Nate gone, her cool demeanor dropped and a regular teenage girl was lying in front of his eyes.

"There are two ways to get a scholarship to an Ivy league school. First, you're gifted at something, meaning sports, music, etc…Or" Blair stuck her index finger out. "You're a genius"

"Are you saying I don't have a shot?" Dan asked.

Blair took a deep breath placed her hand above Dan's. "I will help you as much as I can, but even someone with contacts like me has doubts about getting accepted in Yale, let alone a scholarship"

"Um…Okay" Dan's brows furrowed in worry as he looked away. "So what should I do?"

"The only way to get a scholarship is if you can differentiate yourself from the competition. There has to be something that makes you special" Blair explained and tilted his chin with her fingertips to meet his eyes. "Your best bet is to send a story to various magazines or some writing competition in the hopes they post it"

Dan gulped from her close proximity.

"Even if it does gets posted, it doesn't guarantee anything" Dan said, shaking his head a little.

"You may not get a scholarship to an Ivy League school, but you still have a chance to get one from somewhere like NYU" Blair reminded him.

Blair had a point. If he received a large sum of financial aid from NYU, he could live with it. Unlike her, he knew an Ivy League school wasn't everything. Attending somewhere like NYU would by no means negatively affect his career in writing.

"If you were to ask me, I would recommend sending in that short story of Dylan and Claire sneaking around behind Sabrina's back" Blair added and smiled devilishly.

"How do you know about that?" Dan asked hoarsely with their being little room left to breathe.

"You're dirty" Blair replied and bit her lower lip.

Dan frowned. "You weren't supposed to read it"

"Oops" Blair blinked, feigning innocence. "Are there any more stories of Dylan and Claire?"

He nodded his head slowly in response.

"Can I read them?" Blair breathed and he could see the reflection of his pale face on her brown orbs.

Dan shut his eyes. "Yes"

"Perfect" She patted his thigh. "Now, I'm going to get the school's handbook so we can go over some clubs for you to join"

He watched her sway her hips out of the room and over to the staircase. A hard breath left his lungs as it didn't feel like there was much air in the room. Her skin looked just as delicious as before and all he could think about was taking a lick.

He groaned and rolled his head back in frustration. Sexual frustration to be exact. Dan was never one to care about sex and five months had passed since he last had it, but being around Blair made him finally come to the realization that it had been a long time since he had been intimate with anyone.

Blair came back skipping towards him and looking excited, which for one was odd. There was little to no doubt she had something cooking.

His eyes slowly made their way over to her bare thighs. Since the summer air still remained, she wasn't wearing any tights or stockings. The sleeves of her blouse ended at her elbow and she had a bowtie tied around her collar. It was her usual formal Constance attire.

Dorota followed behind with a giant whiteboard and placed the board on its back-stand in front of him as Blair sat beside him holding a clipboard in between her chest.

"Dorota. Handbook" Blair ordered and snapped her finger.

Her maid swiftly handed her the handbook like a soldier taking orders would. She flipped through the pages until her eyes finally landed on what she was looking for.

Blair handed over the small book to Dan. "This is a list of clubs at school. As you can see, there is wide variety of choices"

Dan lifted his eyes off from the page to meet Blair's. "What would you recommend?"

A mischievous smile appeared on her lips. "I was hoping you would ask" She leaned over so that her chest was pressing against his shoulder as she stared down to the page. Her perfume slowly crept up his nostrils, leading his eyes to shut. "I would first start with the Student Council because I'm on the board, so I can help you along the way. Not mention colleges love to see students with school spirit"

He nodded and swallowed. "Student Council doesn't sound bad" His eyes then stopped abruptly in intrigue. "What about the ski club?"

"You have good taste Humphrey. I'm in that club as well. There isn't much activity since there is only one giant ski trip the members leave for during Winter Break. However, we do our best and hold monthly meetings for planning the trip" Blair explained.

"I'm in" Dan replied, not being able to believe that was an actual club.

"You heard the boy Dorota" Blair said, leading Dorota to write down the two clubs they had spoken of on the whiteboard. "What else?"

Dan's eyes widened. "You think I should join more?"

Blair smiled. "Humphrey, I'm in twenty different clubs"

* * *

"Now that your list is settled" Blair clasped her hands together. "We have one more thing to go over"

Dan sighed tiredly and fell back on the ottoman, feeling drained. "Let's hear it"

"I'm inviting Rebecca Walsworth to my party tonight"

He glanced over at Blair. "I don't know who that is"

"She's a freshman. More importantly, she's the daughter of a Susan Walsworth who is on the admissions board for Yale" Blair explained and a devilish smile formed on her lips. "I think it would be good for the both of us to show our manners Humphrey. Don't you think?"

Dan nodded slowly and carefully eyed her as she leaned in. Feeling uncomfortable, he somehow slithered out of her proximity and stood off the ottoman, straightening out his St. Jude's Dress shirt.

"Let's show her a good time" Dan agreed.

Blair's eyes darkened. "I finally have something to look forward to"

Dan's brows rose and an amused smile became of his lips. "Right"

"Dorota, please hand Dan his invitation" Blair requested, leading Dorota to scurry over to give Dan a large envelope.

"Thanks"

He picked up his messenger bag and said goodbye before leaving Blair's home. When he arrived in the lobby, he saw Serena just arriving.

"Dan!" Serena said excitedly.

Something about Serena always made everything lighter and less tense.

"How's it going" Dan asked and shoved his hands down his pockets.

"Good…"Serena eyed him questionably. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh you know, just scheming with the wicked brunette upstairs" He smirked, leading Serena to laugh lightly.

Serena looked down shyly. "I'm actually happy I caught you"

Dan arched a brow. "You are?"

She nodded and looked back up to meet his eyes. "I was wondering if you would like to go out on a date?"

It was the first time anyone had ever asked him out. How does one say no without making everything complicated? Dan did not like hurting anyone's feeling, especially someone who had treated him so well.

"With you and Blair being such good friends again, I don't think it would be a good idea" Dan reasoned, looking worried with her reaction.

Serena's lips curled slightly. "I've spoken to Blair about it and she's fine with the idea"

"She is?" Dan asked and looked at Serena skeptically.

From what he remembered, Blair Waldorf was the most possessive human being on this planet. He doubted she would be okay with her ex-flame dating Serena.

"She is" Serena reassured him. "But you can ask her yourself if you don't believe me"

"I do believe you, but let me talk to her first, just to be safe" Dan said.

Serena nodded and kissed him on the cheek. "I'll be waiting"

She slipped past him and he swallowed hard as he watched her head into the elevator.

* * *

For some reason, Dan was unable to escape the Upper East Side. He stared at the two piece suit hanging in his closet and sighed. His phone vibrated and he shoved a hand in his pocket to grab it.

B: _Don't be late ;)_

Dan tossed his phone on the bed and left to take shower. When he finished taking a shower and came back into his room, his phone vibrated again.

S: _Talk to her_

He shook his head and buttoned up his shirt. Unfortunately, he was unable to ask his sister for advice as she had already left for the party, which was surprising, considering Blair had been somewhat cold towards Jenny. They hardly spoke to one another at school and Jenny had a new set of friends since she had been pushed out by Blair.

After reassuring his father he would be back before curfew, Dan took a cab over to a venue Blair had rented out for her party. It was utterly ridiculous to see kids his age leaving limos and towncars to enter the building.

His phone vibrated and he pulled it out from his pocket.

_Gossip Girl Here:_

_Look out Upper East Siders. The queen is back and looking for revenge. Didn't they tell you Little J, no one leaves unscathed._

_You know you love me,_

_XOXO _

_Gossip Girl_

Dan arrived to the party and the first thing that caught his eye was the large sparkling chandelier on the ceiling. The floor was filled with people separated in groups. He looked around to search for someone familiar, until his eyes abruptly stopped to Blair standing arm in arm with Chris McAlister. He then saw Jenny eyeing them and frowning.

"What's wrong?" Dan asked, handing his sister a non-alcoholic beverage.

"Blair Waldorf is the worst human being in the world" Jenny said staring at the couple.

The pain on his sister's face was there for everyone to see and mock. All the girls knew of Jenny's crush, so when Blair arrived with Chris, there was a sense of snickering going behind his sister's back. This was the world Jenny wanted to belong to. She wanted to escape Brooklyn, but he never understood why. He was proud of where he was from and anyone who looked down on them for living there was immature and not worth his breath.

"If you keep trying to one up her, this is what it leads to" Dan replied.

Jenny shook her head and headed to the bathroom. And just as Jenny left, Blair made her way over to him in her sparkling silver dress.

"You look nice" Blair said, eyeing him up and down while biting her lower lip. "Shall I introduce you to Rebecca?"

Dan nodded and took her hand to let her lead the way. When they reached Rebecca, Blair gestured her hand over to him.

"This is the boy I was speaking about. Rebecca, meet Dan"

"It's nice to finally meet you"

He took the bubbly blonde in. She looked a little too young for his liking. Just like Blair, she had a small frame, except she was shorter, but those blue eyes made up for it.

"Yeah, same" Dan said and smiled.

The plan was simple. They get in Rebecca's good graces and eventually meet her parents, where on some random day, the topic of where they plan on attending comes up. In Dan's eyes, they were reaching, but it didn't hurt to try.

Blair left him to get better acquainted with Rebecca, who was a little ball of energy. She was way too hyper for him and it was rather annoying. He always preferred girls that were more down to earth. At least that was until he met Blair Waldorf. But there was only one Blair Waldorf in the world so she had become an exception.

Rebecca really liked to talk about herself and Dan couldn't find the perfect opportunity to jump in and excuse himself. So he was stuck, listening to the girl talk about her recent trip in Prague.

When Serena began making her way towards them, Dan was filled with hope he would be able to find an exit strategy.

"Hey stranger" Serena greeted, placing a hand on her hip and smiling. "Where have you been?"

Dan smiled and pointed over to Rebecca. "Serena, this is Rebecca" He then pointed over to Serena. "Rebecca, this is Serena"

"Yes, I know. I've been dying to meet you" Rebecca said, leaving Dan an opening.

"I'm sure you two would like to get better acquainted" Dan replied, pushing Serena in his spot while he slipped through. "I should go find Blair anyways"

Before he could slip away, Serena grabbed a hold of his wrist and met his eyes. "Have you asked her yet?"

"I haven't had the chance to" Dan answered.

Serena sighed. "You're never going to ask her"

"The right opportunity hasn't presented itself"

"And it never will" She shook her head in disappointment. "I wish you would just take my word for it"

"I'll ask her now" Dan told her.

Serena nodded and released his wrist. He realized this was not something Serena was planning on letting go, so he searched around for Blair.

Dan found Blair by the server of the place, with her back pressed against the server's wooden bar. She was surrounded by her minions and Jenny was clearly confronting her on something.

"You're not even into him!" Jenny snapped, leading Dan to roll his eyes at the two fighting. It was ridiculous how immature the girls at Constance were, and it reminded of why he was so attracted to Serena in the once upon a time.

"I know" Blair smirked. "I plan on dumping him tonight"

"You are such a cold miserable bitch, it's no wonder Dan doesn't want anything to do with you"

_Oh snap _Dan thought to himself. What the fuck was his sister doing? If she knew what was best for her, she would shut up and move on. But his sister was not like the other girls at Constance. She had a backbone and would never let anyone walk all over her.

With his eyes widened, Dan turned around and slipped through the growing crowd surrounding the girls to find an exit. There wasn't any drama in his life, and he had grown accustomed to it. He was not going to be let himself be thrown into their web of lies and deceit.

Dan descended down the steps of the building and approached the sidewalk, looking for a cab down the street. He shoved his hands from the cold. The temperature for the past few October nights had dropped drastically.

"Dan"

He looked over his shoulder to see Blair descending down the staircase.

"Where are you going?" Blair asked, smiling a little. Dan rubbed the back of his head nervously, not knowing what to tell her. "Are you mad at me?"

"No, I'm not mad, but my sister is"

"In my defense-"

"You don't need to defend yourself to me" Dan interrupted and let a sad smile form on his lips. "I just wish my sister was able to see what I see"

There was so much potential there, and even with the petty things she would pull, she was so worth it, whether if she was a friend or lover.

She stared at him for what felt like forever, making him more nervous. Her lips were pursed, displaying the beautiful bow shape of her lips. The ends of her dark brown hair were fluttering due to the wind and he didn't think he had ever seen anything more beautiful.

"Did I ever tell you about the first time I really noticed you?" Dan asked.

"No" She said softly.

Dan smiled at the memory "We were in sixth grade and Rachel Berry was running for school president"

Blair met his eyes. "She was such an uptight bitch"

"I know, and because of it, no one was willing to run against her out of pure fear" Dan looked down and licked his lips before meeting her eyes again with that smile still hanging there. "But then word starts to spread that there is this sixth grader who plans on running against her"

Blair swallowed hard "You went to school with us then?"

Dan nodded slowly. "I remember sitting in the auditorium and watching this small clever fearless brunette obliterate the eighth grader in a debate. And once she was done, she took a step back from the podium and that's when I saw the pain. I followed her eyes over to see Nate and Serena laughing amongst each other and not paying attention"

Blair's lip began to quiver. "You remember that?"

"Yeah" Dan answered in a soft tone of voice. "It's what I see every time I look into your eyes"

"Dan"

She said his name and it felt like it came straight from her heart. There was a warm feeling building inside from the way his name came from her lips and it scared the shit out of him. He gave her one last pain filled smile before turning around and hailing a cab over. The cab pulled up to the curb, where he sat inside and provided him with the address to his home in Brooklyn. When he turned his head to through the windshield behind him, he saw Blair standing there, with the dead leaves blowing past her and her eyes never leaving the cab.


	4. Chapter 4

**Flashback**

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The cab turned the corner and her vision was blurred. Blair touched the corner of her eye and felt the liquid in-between her fingers. She couldn't breathe, but she somehow dragged herself back to the party, filled with confusion and a sense of longing. It was easy to forget about him when he wasn't around.

"Did you get a chance to talk to Dan?" Serena asked as she brushed through the crowd to approach her. Blair could only nod as her head was still up in the clouds. "So everything is okay?"

"It's perfect" Blair said and smiled. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need a drink"

She left Serena and headed into the bathroom where she took a couple of shots from the alcohol she had snuck in. Her throat burned as she took the reflection of herself in. The person standing in front of the mirror didn't look very happy. Serena was the sunny one and she was the bitch standing in the corner, feeling like the world was screwing her over. As the years passed, she started reveling in that role and accepted fate for what it was.

When she came back to the floor, she sighed and listened to everyone say terrible things about Jenny Humphrey, but Blair wasn't a fool. They were all sucking up to her and she was just tired of it. There was a limit to everything, and the fake people surrounding her were getting annoying. She wanted to be around people who were genuine rather than greedy and manipulative.

Sometimes she would look at them and wonder if she was any better. Dan was the one person who made her believe she was.

* * *

It happens again. Blair became distracted with school, sleepovers, balls, and whatever came with the Upper East Side. They would run into each other during the meetings of their clubs after school, but Dan would maintain a certain distance from her. He was off the radar when it comes to Gossip Girl, and his life had become more of a mystery for her.

The best part about their separation was the power of being single. For the first time in Blair's life, she felt free and enjoyed the attention she received from boys who would lust after her. One by one, they would try to catch her attention. She even had to start worrying about someone dropping a pill in her drink, but not everything could be perfect.

Her eyes fluttered open and she grinned madly, slipping the sleep mask off. It was her birthday and there was nothing that could possibly wipe the smile off her face. She hopped off the bed and left for the bathroom.

When she was finished brushing her teeth and touching herself up, Blair headed downstairs to see Serena waiting for her in the foyer.

"B!" Serena said excitedly as she was practically jumping up and down in excitement. "Happy birthday!"

Serena had the whole day planned for them. The first item on their list was to head for the spa, but with Dorota forcing her to have breakfast, the start to her day was a bit delayed.

* * *

Blair's heart was pumping in excitement. Everyone was waiting upon her arrival and it made her feel special, which was practically the best feeling in the world.

When the elevator stopped abruptly and the doors slid open, she saw her mother and Lily waiting in the Van Der Woodsen foyer.

"We wanted to wish you a happy birthday before we left" Lily said and hugged Blair.

"Thank you"

Blair couldn't help but genuinely smile as she left Lily's arms.

"My baby is officially 18" Eleanor said and tilted her head to stare at Blair in astonishment. "Wow, the time truly passes by in a flurry. There were so many things I had planned for us before you turned 18"

Blair then hugged her mother. "It's okay, we can still make up for lost time"

"I know" Eleanor whispered sadly and let go of Blair.

College was around the corner and her mother was beginning to realize that she wasn't going to be around much longer. Everything was going to change, and soon, she would be working and supporting herself.

They kissed each other's cheeks and said their goodbyes, leaving Serena and her alone in the foyer with all the guests in the Van Der Woodsen penthouse.

When Blair set foot in the living room, she realized how amazing of a job Serena did. She could see how much time her friend took into it with each detail of the decorations. The penthouse had been completely transformed into a pink funfest.

Serena placed a sparkling diamond tiara on her head. "Happy birthday B"

Blair took it off her head to get a better look. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen and she would cherish it for the rest of her life. Her best friend knew her well.

"Did you buy this?" Blair asked in disbelief.

"Let's just say it's the appetizer" Serena teased and grabbed a giggling Blair's hand to drag her deeper into the party.

* * *

It was one of the better birthday parties Blair's had. For the first time, there wasn't any drama swirling in her head, or any tension with any of the guests. She felt like a normal teenager celebrating her the day of her birth. Serena and Blair may not have been equals in everyone's eyes. But her best friend did everything in her power to make sure they were on the same level.

After taking a couple of shots in Serena's bedroom with the blonde, they left the room, but when she set foot in the hallway, someone grabbed her wrist as Serena descended down the staircase. She turned around to see Nate a smiling standing there and holding a small Buccellati box, leaving little air in her lungs.

"I saw these on display and couldn't help but think of you" Nate said softly and handed her the box.

Blair swallowed hard and lifted the top of the box to see a set of diamond earrings with emerald green droplets on the ends. She shut her eyes in disbelief.

"Happy birthday" Nate whispered.

Blair tilted her chin up to meet his eyes. "They're beautiful"

"I wanted to make up for last year" Nate smirked, leading Blair to curve her lips slightly. "I'm sure this doesn't make up for everything, but I hope it's a start"

She arched a brow. "A start to what exactly?"

"You know how I feel about you"

Blair began backing away. "It certainly is a start"

She turned around, not leaving him any room to respond and headed down the staircase with Nate's gift in hand.

* * *

Blair finally arrived in her penthouse. Her legs were tired from spending the whole day walking around the city and the only thing on her mind was to lay in her bathtub while listening to soothing music. She made her way through the black and white tiled foyer, all the way up the staircase and to her bedroom. Before she turned the knob, her eyes drifted down to the small Buccellati box, biting her lip and smiling. But that train of thought was lost when she turned the knob to open her door.

Her heart jumped out of her chest from the sight of a smiling Dan sitting Indian style on her bed and holding a small round cake. There was one lit sparkling candle plucked into the cake, displaying his chiseled features as he sat in the dark. He was wearing this light green long sleeve baseball T that was rolled up all the way to the mid-point of his arms, which was the complete opposite of what Nate had been wearing earlier. It reminded her of how Dan was just a normal innocent teenage boy.

She took off her heels to give her feet some relief and stared at him for the longest time, watching him come closer until he was right in front of her and she could catch a whiff of his coolwater cologne.

"Why don't you make a wish birthday girl?" Dan asked, meeting her eyes. She could barely make them out from the dimness, but they were there, staring into hers.

Blair blew out the candles while holding his gaze and she noticed the slight curve to his lips. "Is this your way of making up for ditching my party?"

"I never got an invitation" Dan smiled easily.

"I didn't think you'd show" Blair explained as he set aside the cake.

"I wouldn't have, but I thought people from the Upper East Side are supposed to be courteous" Dan said and a smirk slowly spread across his lips. "I guess you lack chivalry"

Blair folded her arms across her chest. "Only for people from Brooklyn"

Dan leaned in. "You can throw me out anytime you want sister"

She couldn't help but swallow hard to his close proximity. "I can't without my present"

He chuckled and leaned back, nodding like he knew she would say something of that nature.

"How about I cook you something before I give you your gift" Dan offered.

"And here I was thinking your time was your gift" Blair replied and smiled sarcastically.

Dan stuck a hand out in defense. "Let's not try and pretend like I've been in your every waking thought okay"

Blair slowly let her dress fall to the floor, revealing her thin black corset and smiled devilishly. "Let's not try and pretend like I haven't been in your every waking thought"

Dan eyed her up and down. "I don't think this is something friends do"

Blair turned around and swayed her hips over to walk-in closet, knowing his eyes were following her every step.

"I'm looking forward to seeing what you have in store Humphrey" Blair yelled from the walking closet as she looked for something more fitting to wear. "I haven't had dinner so I'm expecting a full course meal"

* * *

They sat and stared at each other in the candle lit dining room. Unlike his loft, her home was quiet and the sound of traffic was never heard unless a window was open. At times she envied him. He came home to people that cared and she came home to servers and a mother who was still trying to figure out her priorities.

"You totally ditched me in regards to Rebecca" Blair pointed out and narrowed her eyes at Dan playfully.

Dan crinkled his eyes in worry. "I'm sorry, but I gave up on that after actually having to speak to her"

"What kind of scheming partner are you?" Blair asked, looking at him in disbelief.

Dan's lips curved slightly and he leaned in. "I would be more motivated if the scheme was more well thought out"

"I'll have you know my mother and I have already had tea with her family" Blair told him and then frowned when he found amusement in it. "Why am I not sensing any envy?"

Dan shrugged his shoulders. "I wasn't planning on applying to Yale anyway"

That was news to her. She stared at him some more to get a better read, but it was impossible to tell what he was thinking. The thought of him trying to distance himself from her didn't blow past her. It was rather obvious Dan was doing everything in his power to stay away from them all. Unfortunately, it only made her want him more. There was something seriously wrong with her.

Blair looked down at her plate played with her food. "Does it have anything to do with me?"

Dan nudged her leg with his foot and smiled. "Everything has to do with you. You are the center of my world"

"You're such a jerk" Blair huffed, sounding unhappy with his teasing.

"What do you expect me to say princess?" Dan questioned. "I think it's pretty obvious why I'm not considering Yale"

"Oh" Blair arched a brow. "Please do fill me in Humphrey"

"I'd rather spend my experience in college with strangers than my ex-girlfriend" Dan explained.

"Point taken" Blair said and turned her attention to the plate of food. He was throwing her mixed signals, or maybe he was staying true to his words about being friends.

"Can I ask you something?"

The seriousness in his tone caught her attention. She nodded and met his eyes.

"When we were dating, did you ever wonder if our worlds would clash?"

"I didn't consider it to be an issue when we were together" Blair told him.

"Because you were living in the now" Dan filled in and leaned back, looking as though he had finally found an answer he had been searching for.

It felt like he was implying she considered him to be some fling she would forget about in her later years.

"I suppose that's one way to look at it. But I don't know what you expect when our relationship was still so new" Blair reasoned.

"It was different for me because whenever I looked at you, I saw forever" Dan confessed and let his eyes stray away from her.

The admission made Blair's breathe hitch. She reached for his hand, but he pulled it away instantly and slyly ran it through his hair, pretending like everything between them was fine and there wasn't any history.

"You like attending formal parties where they drink champagne more expensive than my whole attire and I like going to parties where they drink beer and try to forget about the full pressed week they just had" Dan added and met her eyes.

"I can set up a beer pong table next time if that would make you feel more comfortable" Blair said wryly, leading Dan smile.

He shook his head and stared down shyly. "Why don't we watch Breakfast at Tiffany's and have some of the macaroons I brought?"

She sighed and wondered how she could say no to that.

* * *

It's awfully late and Dan had to head home at some point. But before he could leave, her ex still had one more trick up his sleeve.

Dan met her eyes and smiled before sitting on the leather bench by her piano. "I wrote this for you"

Her mouth parted open in surprise as he cleared his throat and started playing the instrument she had dearly loved listening to since her childhood. It was hard to figure why Dan believed he couldn't fit into her world. Money would be the biggest reason and there was a time when it was everything to her. But Dan had become the exception in her eyes.

She watched those long fingers of his work magically against the keys of her grand piano and fill her ear with beautiful notes. The way his face contorted was driving her mad. He was so into it, and she was so into him. She couldn't think of a time when she wanted something any more. There was no point in pretending that her feelings for him were gone. They were there and as strong as ever.

When Dan was done, his eyes were shut and he let a moment of silence fill the room. All she could think about was finding a way to kiss the sweat glistening off his skin.

He stood off the bench and turned to face Blair. "Did you like it?"

"Very much so" Blair answered softly.

"I'm happy to hear that" Dan said as he approached her. He then pressed a soft kiss on her cheek, leading Blair to shut her eyes. "Happy birthday Blair"

Her eyes fluttered open to see him smiling and backing away towards the foyer. She wanted to thank him for giving her such an amazing end to her birthday, but he was gone and she was left thinking of how it may have been the best birthday she's ever had.

* * *

The next day, Blair pretended like it never happened; like she wasn't practically drooling over him. Dan did call her, but she decided not to answer. Last night was amazing, but she did not want to go back and become part of a cycle. They were over, and now November was close to passing, meaning graduation was merely months away and they would all go their separate ways. She was not going to pretend like Dan Humphrey was going to be a part of her life after graduation. He would stay in his world and she would stay in hers.

Every day, she would repeat to herself of how different they were. She wanted to live in the Upper East Side and be married to someone of the same stature. Not some boy from Brooklyn who was obsessed with plaid flannels.

Unfortunately, December arrived and ignoring him didn't work. The feelings were still there stuck in her heart. All she could think about was tossing him on her bed and corrupting him.

Christmas break arrived and it was the most opportune time to confess her feelings for him. She was going to throw herself out there, like he did with her last year by telling her he loved her.

Blair took a deep breath as her nose felt numb from the cold air and knocked on the front door to the loft. To her surprise, it was Rufus who answered.

"Hi Rufus. How is everything?" Blair smiled, but it felt way too tight and not genuine.

Rufus gave her a disapproving look, leaving Blair to roll her eyes. Of course Jenny couldn't keep everything between them in house.

"What are you doing here Blair?" Rufus asked, not sounding very happy.

"I needed to speak to Dan" Blair told him. "Is he here?"

"No" Rufus answered and she frowned. "But he told me he was out having lunch with a friend over at Vinnie's"

Blair wrinkled her nose at the thought of him eating pizza at that unsanitary restaurant. Not wanting to take any more of Dan's father's time, she thanked him and started making her way out of the building.

Her towncar pulled up to the horrible little pizzeria Humphrey loved dearly. Before stepping out of the car, Blair took a moment to gather herself and go over what she planned on saying.

At last, she opened the door and stepped out of the car. She assumed he was eating with Vanessa, but when she approached the large window, her fingers curled tightly at the sight of Dan laughing with Serena.


End file.
